Dumfries and Galloway has spectacular pike but nothing
in recent years has matched the "Loch Ken Monster" . Pikers interested
in a pilgrimage can visit the Kells churchyard, north of New Galloway, where
near the eastern wall you will find a tombstone in memory of John Murray who
died January 3rd, 1777. The relief has a gun, fishing rod, dog and partridge
carved on it. John Murray , the gamekeeper for Sir John Gordon of Kenmure,
is famed for having caught the "Loch Ken Monster", the largest pike
on record in Loch Ken weighing 72lbs and measuring seven feet in length.
The pike caught in this region are smaller today but fish over 20 lbs are
still regularily caught. In November 2005 Alan McFayden from Kirkcudbright
caught Scotlands biggest catch of recent years in Milton Loch - an impressive
41 lbs.
Auchenreoch Loch also broke its own record last year when one of our residents
landed a catch of just over 24lb
|
 December
2001: Tartan Pike Trek
Hi
there Pikers,
My
son Walker and I have just returned from a very cold weekend piking
in the Dumfries & Galloway region of Scotland. We fished a different
loch on each day. Saturday we fished on the roadside stretch of Auchenreoch
Loch. Fishing four rods using deadbaits we had a total of eleven runs
throughout the day resulting in eight fish to 14lbs All the takes came
to herring and mackerel seafish baits. The beauty of fishing on this
water is that there's a motel on its shore and hot meals can be had
throughout the day and we benefited from this luxury. Usually it's a
rough cook up on the bank! It was cold at night and I expected a freeze
up the following dawn as we drove to our next destination Milton Loch
a couple of miles away from the former venue. I had first fished this
loch in the early 70's and it pleasant to return there from time to
time. Again float legering deadbaits from the tree lined shore saw us
get runs steadily throughout the day. We ended up having about fifteen
or sixteen runs in flat calm conditions. Sardines, herring and the ever
faithful mackerel produced nine pike with two of them going into double
figures. This is a pretty big loch and I intend putting a boat onto
the place very soon to try out the deep holes at the distant end of
this loch as no doubt that is the best holding area in the place for
big fish. I'll let you know.
Good fishing, Gordie, The Piking Pirate.
Gordon "Gordie" Burton - Angling
Consultant, Guide and Correspondent Writer
Click here to visit
Gordie's Pike column at Southport Sports.com
|
| Fishing
Tariff for Auchenreoch Loch |
Own
Boat (fishing inclusive) |
Boat
Hire (based on 2 people) |
| £5.00 per
day |
£15.00 per
day |
£39.00 per
day inc fuel and lifejackets |